Jaxon Kaliwski, 7, and a student at Kaiser Elementary School looks at the electronic gizmo that he made with Circuit Scribe’s Basic Kit Plus. GINA JOSEPH - THE MACOMB DAILY.

Wanda Knapik has been stocking the toy box in her classroom at Sugarbush Elementary in Chesterfield Township for 32 years, and every year there’s a toy the kids go crazy over.

Some of these lose their luster by spring break.

Others, such as Legos, remain staples in the class.

Ask the college students who were kindergartners in Knapik’s class and they will tell you stories about their first day of school and how they met their best friend playing at the Lego table.

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“It’s always been a favorite. Believe it or not my students still love Lincoln Logs,” says Knapik, who has taught reading, writing and arithmetic to special education students, preschoolers, kindergartners and now first-graders.

When she began teaching in 1985, the hottest toy on the list for girls was Cabbage Patch Kids, a line of dolls just waiting to be adopted by a loving child. At the height of the craze that year, doll sales totaled more than $600 million.

They disappeared for a few years, but were popular again in 2010 with moms who were girls in 1985.

Among the hot toys for boys that year was skateboards, as seen in the popular movie, “Back to the Future,” and G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero, one of the first action figures for boys made popular by the launch of the character’s Saturday morning cartoon.

Both of these toys are still on the market but joined by thousands of other creative products designed by toymakers from around the world competing for children’s attention.

“My favorite this year is those magnetic blocks that the children can use to make animals,” Knapik says, referring to the People Toy Company’s People Blocks Zoo Animals ($34.95) for children ages 3-up. Her students loved using the blocks to create animals they might see in the zoo or creatures of their imagination. What she loved is when they were done with their animal and wanted to make something else, the magnetic blocks were easy to pull apart, so she didn’t have a lineup of kids waiting for her to disconnect them. She can see this toy being around for a while, as they are built to stand the test of many little hands and they encourage creativity.

Other toys that keep showing up in her toy box are games such as Candyland, Trouble and Connect 4. For older children, there’s Clue, the whodunit board game where players must name the crime scene and murder weapon. This year, it was named to the National Toy Hall of Fame, and since being patented by a British couple during World War II remains a best-seller. It might even be a hot seller during the holiday season because of the new release of “Murder on the Orient Express.”

“Pretend play is still very important because children need to learn how to do things,” Knapik says.

Play kitchens teach cooking and work benches teach children how to use tools. Pretend play also inspires children to dream about jobs they might want to do.

“I am going be an astronaut when I grow up,” Aiden Killarney said, lifting the visor on his space helmet and looking every bit like a junior astronaut in training. Killarney, a 5-year-old kindergartner at Kaiser Elementary in Roseville was wearing one of several costumes in the My First Career Gear by Aeromax ($26.95). “I went to space and I was still 5,” he added, with a big smile.

Killarney’s outfit is just one of many play-pretend costumes for children ages 3-6 exploring dreams of becoming an astronaut, doctor, scientist or firefighter. This season’s crop of new toys has all sorts of great examples.

To help parents narrow down their search for toys to give as gifts, here are some of the season’s hottest gizmos, dolls, building sets and board games. Some were tested and others were suggested, but as Santa Claus tells us every year, he and his elves will be checking our list to see whether our toy-testing tykes said nay or yea!

Infants and toddlers

Zoo Jamz Stompin’ Fun Drums from Vtech ($39.95) is pretty cool, according to our preschool teacher. It’s recommended for ages 1 to 4, so her preschoolers were a little big for the stool setup, but they really enjoyed playing on the drums, which were not too loud for indoor play.

People Toy Company, Brain Builders Like It Pacifier, designed for the growing brain ($8.99, ages 3-months) is odd looking. But our 3-month-old tester went to town sucking on it. He also liked the way the hand moved as he was playing with it.

Tonka Mighty Builders: Tow N Go Tuff Truck by Kids Works ($34.99, 1-up) comes with 22 building blocks, a two-piece construction truck and a Tonka figure. Little builders can create structures and push them around in the truck. Parents will love that it all packs and stores in the truck.

Paddington For Baby Jack-in-the-Box ($28, 1-up) by YOTTOY. Crank the handle and wait for the soft plush Paddington puppet to pop out of a decorated tin. Our preschool teacher thought it was a little too young for her students, but they loved it. It promoted discussion and sharing, she said.

Huggers Snow Leopard and Snow Owl from Wild Republic ($7.99 each, 1-8) are cute plush toys that love to hug. Hug one on your wrist or on your backpack. Each one comes with one cool fact that children will learn about their animal. Did you know, for example, that snow leopards unlike all other big cats cannot roar?

Elmo’s World Hide and Seek by Identity Games ($19.99) is recommended for ages 6 months to 4 years, but that is providing a parent plays along. Our 5-year-old tester liked the Elmo doll but really needed someone older to play along, as one would expect in a game of hide and seek. What’s great about the game is it can be played at a variety of levels, from peek-a-boo Elmo under a blanket to hunting down Elmo’s voice in the room.

Crayola Building Blocks from Kids Works ($14.99, 1-up) features 80 building blocks that come packaged in a giant crayon. Our preschoolers enjoyed the set as did their teacher, because of its open-ended play.

SmartMax: My First Safari Animals Magnetic Discovery ($19.99, age 1-up) from Smart Toys & Games was a big hit with our 5-year-old testers and their teacher. She called it a wonderful kit that promotes social interaction, sharing ideas and working together. The children, who liked everything about it, also learned how to take turns. Five stars!

Tonka Mighty Builders: Hard Hat Bucket Playset by Kids Works ($9.99, 1-up) features 25 chunky pieces packed into a firefighter’s helmet. Kids can pretend to be captain of the Tonka Fire Dept. while building their own fire station or other structure. Our preschool testers had fun using the fire hat as a storage case to pick up the blocks.

Flower Maker Dough Set from Green Toys Arts & Crafts ($25, 2-up) is a great educational toy for STEM-based learning. The set is made of sturdy dishwasher safe plastic and includes colorful dough and a variety of accessories to make flowers and a butterfly. Because of the dough and squeeze pump, it’s likely to require adult supervision. Five Stars!

Leap Frog Leap Start Interactive Learning System for Active Minds ($37.49, ages 2-7) features a library collection of replayable activity books. Using the easy-grip stylus, kids can tap any page to activate audio responses and play activities designed to keep them engaged and coming back for more, including games, jokes and songs. Our 5-year-old tester, Finn, loved that it came with its own pen and book.

Leonardo the Terrible Monster ($28, all ages) is a plush monkey-monster puppet with long arms, long legs and a funny face. Our 5-year-old tester liked its long legs and how its teeth were made, but he disliked its nose because it was pink. Maybe Santa should make one with a blue nose, too? His preschool teacher also said it was super cute and encourages pretend play.

Go! Go! Smart Wheels Press & Race Monster Truck Rally ($24.99, ages 1-5) by VTech continues its success with another version of the fun tracks and cars for little ones. Bentley, Joseph, Ian and Liam had so much fun their first-grade teacher had to set aside times so they could take their turns. They all loved the sounds of the cars and the songs.

PJMasks Gekko-Mobile Ride-On ($39.99) features lights and sounds including the PJ Masks theme song and a sculpted Gekko figure riding in the front. Our toy testers had trouble with the tail falling off and were too big for it, but it is recommended for younger children age 1-up.

Leap Frog’s 2-in-1 Leap Top Touch ($17.99), a laptop for children 2-up teaches letters and numbers, pretend play and animals. Our toy-testing preschool teacher said it’s a great learning toy, good for A-B-C and 1-2-3 recognition.

Magik Play Starter Set ($57.99, age 2-up) from Magikbee did so-so in our classroom setting. It had some glitches and the computer technology teacher who tested it did not like the tone of the computer’s voice. But she did like how it integrates a manipulative toy with technology, its cute characters and the quality of the toy’s box, blocks and the music that it plays.

Teletubbies’ Laa Laa ($12.99, ages 2-5) is a talking plush toy inspired by the storybooks, DVDs and return of Teletubbies Season 2 on Nick Jr. Our preschoolers liked that it was small and they enjoyed the video that was paired along with. Their teacher, however, said Santa needs to add an off button.

The Mobo Mity Cruiser: Disney Pixar Cars Lightning McQueen edition (age 2-5) was a huge hit. It’s pricey ($99) but the sit-down three-wheel bicycle for children (under 100 pounds) is well built, so it’s a bicycle that can take a beating, and can be passed down from generation to generation. All of our testers, including Anna, Ava, Addie and Mac, loved it. It was a little small for the oldest tester, who was 9, but he’ll be happy to know Santa makes a Mobo Mity Cruisers for his age group, too.

AGES 3-UP

Kurio Snap ($79.99, age 3-up) is a cool little camera. Our second-grade testers liked putting silly things and borders on the pictures they took and how easily it was to share the images. And while it is definitely suited for younger kids, our toy-testing mom said it has neat options that even the older kids enjoyed such as printing, slideshows and creating photobooks.

People Blocks Zoo Animals by People Toy Company ($34.95, 3-up) comes with 17 magnetic block pieces that fit together as animals, either in the zoo or from the imagination. Our toy-testing teacher loved the concept of the magnetic blocks and the fact that her first-graders did not need her to pull the pieces apart after creating something. One suggestion for Santa: Add more blocks and some pictures of animals that the kids can use as models.

Kurio Watch 2.0 by KD Interactive ($79.99, age 3-up). Nine-year-old tester Colin said, “You pretty much have an Apple watch for kids if you own one of these.” Daniela, 13, liked all of the features including the games, being able to make a call from your watch, texting and connecting to your phone (Android or iOS) and its design, including the wallpaper and a comfortable strap. However, both said the small buttons made typing difficult. Make the buttons bigger and you’ve got a winner, Santa.

Peppa Pig Shape Sorter Clock ($29.99, age 3-up) by TCG Toys features hardwood construction and colorful Peppa Pig characters. It was a big hit with our 5-year-old testers and their preschool teacher, who called it a wonderful math game. It’s perfect, she said. It re-teaches numbers, while introducing the clock. Five stars!

Crayola Color Wonder Light Brush ($19.99, age 3-up) features a light-up brush with six paint colors and an 18-page coloring pad. Our 4-year-old tester, Mason, said he liked dipping and painting.

Disney’s Elena of Avalor Action & Adventure Feature Doll ($34.99, 3-up) from Jakks Pacific. The girls in our kindergartner toy-testing class liked her pretty dress and the songs she sang, but their teacher said the doll was heavy for this age and it needed to come with more accessories.

Madeline Tea Set by YOTTOY ($36, 3-up) includes a tray, teapot with lid, four cups, four saucers and four plates each with a different illustration from the book. Parents will love that the set is sturdy and stores securely inside a paperboard suitcase decorated with scenes from the story. Pair this with the book and the doll and you’re good to go.

Disney’s Princess Mulan Action and Adventure Doll ($24.99, 3-up) and Diseny’s Princess Mulan Dress, ($23.99, age 3-up) from Jakks Pacific are a great matchup. Addison, 4, said the dress could have used more sparkles and the neck was kind of big, making it too low in the front, but she had fun dressing up and playing with the doll, who has really pretty shoes.

Construct ’n Learn Smart Workbench from Little Tikes ($169, age 3-up) is a sturdy construction bench featuring lots of tools and three unique vehicles. Children also can create their own versions of the vehicles. Mason, 4, liked the cars and returned to play with the workbench over and over. He didn’t have a tablet, so he couldn’t test the free app, but that adds another dimension to the play action.

My Gnome on the Roam Family Adventure Kit ($29.97, age 3-up) from Outskirts Press was a hit with our testers. Carter, Angelina and Elena said Santa needs to add more colored pens but they all had fun drawing pictures and creating stories. Kits comes in a cool suitcase so everything stays together. Five stars! Award Winner!

Mayka Toy Block Tape by Zury ($5.99, 3-up) allows kids to transform any surface into a base for toy building blocks. Each roll is two studs wide and they come in a variety of colors for boys and girls.

Crayola Color & Ease Mat ($19.99, age 3-up) was a hit with everyone in the first-grade class that tested it. The kids liked using markers and the huge canvas area for coloring. Parents will like not having to supply paper and that the washable inks magically disappear from the reusable surface with water.

Sack Pals ($39.95, age 3-up) is a soft and cuddly sack that comes with plush toys that stick to the sack. Our toy-testing preschool teacher said this blanket bag would be a great toy for traveling. Her preschoolers liked the animals but would have liked a bigger variety, and according to the toymaker more pals are coming soon. sackpals.com/shop/sackpals-starter-set.

Leapfrog Leap Pad Ultimate ($99, ages 3-9) is as the name suggest, ultimate. Our 4-year-old tester, Mason, had a great time testing all of the fun and educational games and stories. His mom loved the larger, shatter-free screen and the toy’s protective bumper. Five stars!

Y Volution Y Glider ($39.99, ages 3-8) is for little ones who are just thinking about riding a scooter and looking to improve their skills, which is what our toy-testing mom liked about it. It grows with the child and can be adjusted, but only to a certain point. Once their skills improve you may want to switch to a model that allows for sharper, quicker turns, which is what our second-grade testers did not like about this model. Bigger kids need more ability to make turns easily, they said.

AGES 4-6

Disney Princess Style Collection Travel Vanity ($49.99, age 4-up) from Jakks Pacific is a cool case with nice details that stands up to become a vanity for little girls on the go. Lillian and Danielle liked that it had lights and accessories. If you give it to an older child, however, you may want to add more accessories and some real makeup, said our testers, who were both 7.

Magformers Log Cabin ($79.99, age 4-up) is an 87-piece construction set that allows little engineers to create their own cabin, treehouses and more. Our 9-year-old tester, Colin, said Santa needs to improve the connection between the magnets, make them stronger and maybe able to withstand a younger brother’s interference, but he liked the idea of building his own house. He’s played with similar construction sets but liked this one better and said it’s more realistic because you have to build an actual frame first.

Whiffer Sniffers: Strawberry; Birthday Cake; Mystery 10; Pumpkin Pie; and Cherry ($7.95, age 4-up) by Info Games are more of a decoration than a toy. Our 7-year-old toy testers really loved playing with them. The said the smell was awesome and they liked that you can clip them to your belt loop. Even the 9-year-old girls liked the idea of clipping them to their purse or backpack.

Sweetlings Sprinkle Shop Frost Your World ($34.99, 4-up) from Alex D.I.Y. Culinary artists in the making will have fun frosting and finishing three cupcake characters. Each kit created by the company that has specialized in crafty toys since 1986 includes a lazy Susan for display, a variety of frosting tips, tweezer, glitter sprinkler and storage for all accessories.

Disney Tangled: The Series Adventure Figurine Set ($14.99, 4-up) Jakks Pacific was a hit with our 5-year-old testers, who used the figures to re-create scenes from the movie, and their preschool teacher, who thought it was a nice and cute game.

Ben 10 Transforming Alien Playset Rustbucket by Playmates ($39.99, age 4-up) is a vehicle that opens up to become a playset. Our first-grade testers, Ryan and Kameron didn’t have to put it together. Their teacher did that, and he said there were too many stickers. Once his work was done, the kids had fun. Graham said it was unique, and Ryan and Kameron liked turning a character into an alien. Parents can add another level of play by including the Ben 10 Action Figure 6-pack ($9.99, age 4-up). Cannonball and XLR8 guys are both cool, said Kameron, and they look just like the characters on the show.

Disney Tangled: The Series Rapunzel Secret Journal ($19.99, age 4-up) includes a journal with secret drawer, black light, invisible ink pen, washable ink marker, stencils, stickers, hair charm and key. Our testers liked Rapunzel’s hair and the purple gem, and their teacher said it’s well-made but would definitely benefit from more paper included.

My Little Pediatrician Kit ($49.95, age 4-up) by Little Medical School was a big hit with our 5-year-old boy testers. They liked the idea of helping a sick baby and having all of the stuff for a checkup, although at this age did not know what to do with the tape measure. Two suggestions for Santa: Put the doll in underwear instead of a diaper and make the tools (ear and heart) more realistic. Still, it’s an award-winning toy. Five stars!

Kidizoom Action Cam 180 by VTech ($49, age 4-up) was a huge hit with Emma, 7, who had no trouble figuring out how it worked. Once she started playing with it she was thrilled to learn it could be mounted on a bicycle or scooter and that it can be used underwater. Her teacher was surprised at how easily she caught on to using it and was impressed with the footage Emma got with the camera after mounting it to a scooter that the kids also were testing.

Brackitz Pulleys Set ($39.99, ages 4-up) is a construction toy that promotes STEM, allowing children as young as 4 to build their own pulley, zip-line, drawbridge or whatever their imagination might conjure up. However, it may require some adult supervision. Our 9-year-old tester, Colin, found some of the assembly easy. He liked that you can make your own thing, even a car, but found the parts confusing.

Copy Coco with voice recognition technology ($19.99, age 4-up) is a cute game in which kids try to imitate all of the animal sounds that Coco makes. Our 5-year-old testers had fun listening to Coco talk and matching the cards to the sounds.

We Cool’s Slimin’ Makin’ Station ($7.99, age 4-up) by Compound Kings is a kit that lets kids create their own squishy slime. It features a variety of colors and additives for DIY fun. Pair it with Compound King’s Fluffy, a squishy, super stretchy compound ($3.99). Our second-grade testers, Alyssa, Madison and Stella said the slime kit was super messy, but still loved both of these. Five stars!

Smart Games Snow White Deluxe, is a preschool game ($26.99) recommended for ages 4 to 7, but our 5-year-old testers found it too difficult to understand on their own. This would be a good choice for family game night, especially if little ones are involved. Our testers did have fun using the characters in the game to retell Snow White’s story, without any prompting from the teacher.

Chameleon Kidz Blendy Pens Stationery Set ($5.99, age 4-up) features large markers that offer a colorful palette with the stroke of a single pen. Our 7-year-old testers liked how the colors got lighter and the different designs they created, but had trouble getting the colors to blend.

Barbie Fundamental Chemistry Set by Thames & Kosmos ($29.95, ages 4-8) is a great STEM toy for Barbie enthusiasts or aspiring scientists. Kids get to make slime, fizz crystals and more with the 25-piece set that comes in a sturdy storage case.

Verti-Go: The Game of Balance & Chaos by TCG Toys ($17.99, ages 5-15) was a hit right out of the box with our 8-year-old testers Ryan and Alex. Both enjoyed the challenge of adding a card to the structure they were building without knocking it down. What’s nice is one person or a group can play it.

Reactorz Football from Coop ($14.99, age 5-up) features a semi-rigid outer shell making it easier to grip and throw. “This is an excellent football for younger kids,” said our toy-testing second-grade teacher. “It’s soft enough but still easy to catch and throw. The fact that it lights up is a bonus.” Five stars!

Scatter Dodgeball ($19.99, age 5-up) is a new twist on the classic dodgeball game. Each time a player gets hit, he or she must give up a wristband to the thrower and the person with the most wristbands win. Our testers, Mollie, Zack, Luke and Peyton have all played dodgeball but liked this better because it was different and very entertaining.

Reactorz Disc by Coop ($9.99, age 5-up) sheds a little light on the beloved disk-toss game. Our toy-testing second grade teacher said this is an excellent toy for young kids. It promotes exercise and it lights up.

Strictly Briks Silicone Briks and Straps ($19.99, age 5-up) come with 132 pieces to create cool structures on their own or to be used with Lego and DUPLO. Our testers liked all of the colors and that they are rubbery. Other kits include: Brik Tower and the newest twist on educational play, Alpha Briks and Math Briks. Our preschool teacher thought both of these were good teaching tools especially Alpha Briks. Her students are just starting to read, and it was wonderful to see them put the letters together to make words. Five stars!

The First Order Stormtrooper smartwatch ($69.99, ages 5-10) vtechkids.com/starwars is more than just a watch. Our 18-year-old tester, Nicholas, and his dad were genuinely impressed by all of its functions. For example: It’s a camera. That’s not something you’d expect to see on a watch, said Nicholas, who thought it would be a good gadget stepping stone for kids looking to move up to a phone. It’s “Star Wars,” so that’s cool, but Nicholas said he wouldn’t buy it just for that. It also has 30 different clock face designs, a stopwatch and timer, voice recorder, pedometer, calculator, calendar and three mini activities with sounds. Not to mention enough storage for 1,600 photos or 11-23 minutes of video. Five stars!

GeoSmart Moon Lander ($49.99, age 5-up) features 42 pieces that young engineers can use to create several different vehicles. Our first-grade toy-testing teacher said it was nice because lots of students could play with it at once, including Tyler and Ryan, who had a difference of opinion as to how the wheels should look. Still, Tyler liked that they were able to make a car with it. One suggestion for Santa: Put more magnets in the set.

Horse Club Western Rider ($19.99) and English Thoroughbred with Blanket ($12.99) from Child’s Play are a great idea for kids who love horses, riding or just using their imagination. However, they are geared for children 5-up. Our testers who were second-graders didn’t want anything to do with them. Both are designed by Schleich so they’re not only a fun toy, for the right age or child, but a keepsake.

Just My Style Sparkling Fashion Plates from Horizon Group ($14.97, age 6-up) was a hit with our 8-year-old testers. They liked designing and coloring the girls.

Smart Pixel Purse from Project 2 Me ($59.99, age 6-up.). This STEM toy was inspired by “Project 2 Me,” a Netflix series about a team of super-smart and seriously cool girls in a secret organization who use their love of science and spy skills. Kids customize the screen to create scrolling text and animated images. Olivia, 15, liked the looks of the purse and that you can customize your own design. She said the LED lights are brilliant and she liked that you can store your phone inside the purse. However, Santa needs to lighten it up. It’s too heavy and has little room for anything other than your phone and student ID. She also suggested the elves make the zipper real.

Silly Scents Marker Maker from Crayola ($10.99, 6-up), which has kids creating custom-color scented markers, was everyone’s favorite. Making the markers any color and giving it a scent was a blast, said our 8 and 7-year-old testers, Alijah and Tarney. When they were done testing it there was a line of kids them waiting to take their turns. This was a big hit with my students, said their teacher. Five stars and a big ho-ho-ho!

Find It: Mythical Creatures ($19.99, ages 6-96) and Find It: Eww Gross are the latest versions of the game that has players twisting and shaking the cylinder to find items such as Aladdin’s lamp and a unicorn or boogers to win the game. One group hunting for the mythical creatures said it was cool. They liked that they were able to work together to find the items and the more people who played the better it got. “This toy is pure fun,” said the testers’ teacher. “It was a hoot watching the kids’ faces when they found something really gross.” Five stars!

Harry Potter Match ($24.99) is a brand new game for Harry Potter fans from Top Trumps. Players must work to match up their characters, be it wizards or witches. Because it’s a matching game, 4-year-olds will like it, and because it’s Harry Potter, older kids might like it too. Our 7- and 8-year-old testers both said it was fun.

AGES 7-UP

Beasts of Balance Digital Tabletop Game ($99, age 7-up) is an award-winning skill, strategy and creative stacking game where one or a group of players build balancing towers and see fabulous worlds on a connected digital device. But be careful as the world ends when the tower falls! Award winner!

Jumpin’ by Smart Games ($14.99) is a puzzle game. It is recommended for one player, age 7-up, and while our second-graders understood the term strategy they could not figure out how to play it, and became bored. Either an adult must explain it, or forget the single-player idea and face the 60 challenges together as a family.

Balloon Bot Battle from KD Games ($19.99, age 8-up) is a game where players go head-to-head trying to pop the other player’s balloon. Our fourth-grade testers, Brady and Caden said it was pretty cool and fun to play.

Hurdle the Robot from the Young Scientist Club ($29.99, 8-up) might be a hit with older kids interested in technology and engineering or as a project between a child and an adult. Our fourth-graders said it was really hard to assemble because of all the wires. Their suggestion to Santa: Get the elves to do some of the wiring, so parts are preassembled and maybe include a remote-control.

Crozzit by Identity Games ($19.99, age 8-88) is an excellent quiet game that teaches children focus and concentration, according to Donivyn and Derrick’s teacher. They liked that the game is a race between friends trying to get from one side to the other. What they didn’t like was being trapped and getting stuck, but that was what made the game challenging for the 7-year-olds.

Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit by Little Bits ($99, age 8-11) comes with 30 pieces for creating Droids from the “Star Wars” universe. Mollie, Zack, Luke and Peyton said it was difficult to assemble and seemed very easy to break, but liked that they could make the droid move with a phone app. The kids all said they’ve played with remote control cars but this toy was better because it can draw. Among its multiple awards is Toy Insider’s STEM 10 Award. Five stars!

Dodgeball by Identity Games ($29.99, age 8-up) requires a combination of quick action and bravery, although it is really your player piece dodging the hit. Our fourth-grade testers Jude, Ben and Nick may have liked it but found it too complicated to put together.

Crayola Fashion Superstar ($19.99, ages 8-12) is a cool kit for anyone who aspires to be the next Vera Wang. Our fourth-grade testers, Cristiana, Gabi and Veronica liked coloring and that it was easy to use. Daniela, also a fourth-grader, said it was fun to do and that it will inspire someone to design clothes. She also liked the option of using pencil or ink in a variety of colors and while she would have liked to have tried the free app that allows you to design a closet of virtual designs could not get it to work. A teacher observing one of the tests liked it because it encourages creativity.

Circuit Scribe Basic Kit with Workbook ($59.99, age 8-up) includes the Circuit Scribe pen, six modules, a battery and other accessories. After Jaxan and Mason, both 7, read the directions on the box they found it easy to assemble, with several pieces that lit up. They both said it was fun putting things together that light up. “This was a great toy,” said their teacher. “My students were so proud when they figured out how to turn the light on.”

Splatoon Splattershot Mini ($14.99, 8-up) from Jakks Pacific comes with a Splatoon pistol, goggles and one ink tank filled with washable goop. It’s paintball fun for kids, but requires adult supervision. Our 9-year-old tester said it was easy to use and liked that it was a mini paintball gun, but had one suggestion for Santa: Add targets.

Starpath Dolls’ Wishing Star ($79, age 8-up) is a doll for the technology generation, as it brings together imaginative play and a story that children can enjoy with their dolls or customize in their own way. While it sounded like fun, our fourth-grade testers could not get the app to work.

XPV Xtreme Performance Skate Board ($49.99, age 8-up) was a hit with our testers, who could not get over how it stood up to their tests. Fourth-graders, Danny and Brody both said it is super-duper fast and it does not break when it hits a wall. They had one suggestion for Santa: Make it easier to charge, maybe add a USB port?

Casio SA-76 Electronic Keyboard ($59.99, ages 12-14) was a big hit with our fourth-grade testers, David and Casey. Both have played a piano but liked this better because of all the sounds they could make. One tip for Santa: Make the keys bigger.

Discovery Lunar Crystal Terrarium ($25, age 12-up) lets children create their own three-dimensional moonscape with crystals. But it’s not something children should do without adult supervision. Our testers, Nina, Mia and Alivia, did not like that they had to wait eight days to see something forming or that you could only use it once.

Game Night in a Can by Space Dogs Entertainment ($24.99, age 10-up) which was funded on Kickstarter, challenges players to be creative and funny. Our toy testing group of 20-something college students and young professionals liked that there were a variety of games that you could play. However, they did suggest its creators come up with an expandable version that includes a game board and better point system.

Paddle Zlam (all ages, $39.99) is a fast-paced game with two cones, a pickleball and paddles is like horseshoes and bocce but interactive. Sofia, Daniela and their dad tried it out in their basement and had fun. Their dad said it’s a family friendly game that he can imagine playing at a picnic or on the beach. Good hand-eye coordination is a must. One suggestion for Santa: Add more paddles, so more can play.

Mouthguard Challenge Extreme ($19.99, age 12-up) includes 1,100 task cards and six plastic flexible mouth guards. What started out as a YouTube goofy video featuring Alex Mandel, funnyman Howie Mandel’s son, wearing a mouth guard remains a family friendly game favorite. Our testers said it’s funny to hear people talk while wearing the mouth guard but suggested that the elves come out with a version next year that’s random trivia rather than just about celebrities.

Top Trumps Card Games ($9.99-$12.99, all ages) come in a variety of themes for all ages. What is so popular in the United Kingdom teachers happily enroll their students in the annual Top Trumps School Tournament could become a trend here too. All of our testers enjoyed the games they played including: Who’s The Most Fun; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; DC Comics: Who’s the Strongest?; Peppa Pig Activity Pack! And New York: The Top 30 Things to See. Especially popular with the girls was DC Super Hero Girls. Five stars!

Who’s The Dude? Play Charades with the Dude! ($24.99, 16-up) This new game from Identity Games is a fun version of charades featuring a life-size inflatable dude that players can use as a prop during the game or as in stand in for a member of the group.

Cheers to the toy testers!

Every year, we hear from parents, who appreciate the information our toy story provides. Yet, the mighty task would not be possible if it weren’t for the generosity of certain individuals and companies.

We are sincerely thankful to the toy manufacturers that provide samples for the kids to test, and for remembering to include extra batteries.

Offering their expertise not only as educators but as parents were several teachers at Holy Family Regional School in Rochester Hills, including Lauren Lewinski and her fourth-graders, Taryn Sabo and her second-graders, as well as the school’s librarian and computer teacher. Special thanks to Jeanette Izzi for rallying her troops there.

Also volunteering this year was Wanda Knapik and her first-graders at Sugarbush Elementary School in Chesterfield Township, as well as a group of preschoolers led by Toni Opal.

Among the schools we count on year after year is Kaiser Elementary School in Roseville. Their teacher, Kurt Wilczynski, and his second- and first-graders have been volunteering almost as long as we’ve been doing the story. And some of the testers have been involved in this story since they were in elementary school, and are now high school students.

Cheers to all of them for a job well done.

Not every toy suits a classroom setting.

Thanks to the parents of The Macomb Daily kids, all of the toys got their say, from an out-of-this-world watch that has more gadgets than Mr. Gadget himself to the paintball gun nobody wanted to touch. A jolly thanks to you too.